Hinduism

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Hinduism

• 5 Major Religions

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HINDUISM

• One of the oldest living religions in the world
• Began 4,000 years ago in the villages and cities
  in India
• Since ancient times, Indians believed that rivers
  were gifts from the gods
• The River is a symbol for the soul- it is the
  same, endless, yet constantly being reborn, or
  reincarnated from lifetime to lifetime

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Hinduism

• Believe our actions in this life determine the
  human or animal form our soul takes in its next
  life
• An evil soul in one life might come back as an
  insect
• A good soul might come back as a prince, preist
  or cow- an animal that is sacred to Hindus

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Fundamental beliefs of Hinduism

• Caste system- way of ranking people
• People belong to one of four castes
• Today India has outlawed the caste system
• Polytheistic
• Most important gods include
• Vishnu- the preserver of the world
• Shiva-the destroyer and also the creative force
  in the world

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What does the mark on the forehead mean?

• The colored reveals to other people that the
  wearer is a Hindu. It symbolizes the third eye --
  the one focused inwards toward God. Both men and
  women wear it, although the practice among men is
  gradually going out of style. In the past, many
  unmarried women wore black marks, whereas many
  married women wore red. But in recent times,
  women often wear dots that match the color of
  their clothes

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Hinduism

• Most Hindus worship individually- outdoors, in
  temples, or in the home
• Most Hindu homes have shrines dedicated to a god
  chosen by the family
• Today more than 700 million people follow this
  religion
• Most Hindu live in India